


Fluffy, Sugary, Lovey-Dovey, Christmas Stuff

by Tiofrean



Series: Handless Rick and his one and only Daryl the Repairman [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Anal Sex, But Described Briefly, Christmas Fluff, Daryl and His Gang Make Them Smile, Daryl's Gang of Do-Gooders, Disabled Character, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Ex-cop!Rick, Jesus Is a Sweet Cupcake, Kids In Hospitals, Let's Fluff This Shit Up, M/M, Mild Smut, Motorcycles, Repairman!Daryl, Sequel by Popular Demand of My Lovely Readers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Who Actually Do Some Good, it's Christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 18:20:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16815961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiofrean/pseuds/Tiofrean
Summary: Two years after the happenings of "End Up Like a Dog That's Been Beat Too Much", Daryl and Rick are still together. Join them during the Christmas Day, with motorcycles, plushies, fluff and some surprises!(A very happy fic. Also, a sequel to my previous work in this series, some bits may be important, like the fact that Rick has lost his right hand almost three years before. )





	Fluffy, Sugary, Lovey-Dovey, Christmas Stuff

**Author's Note:**

> Guys! Your response to my previous fic about handless Rick blew me away and left me grinning for days on end! Thank you all! By your demand, I decided to write this mindless bit of fluff and tooth-rotting sweetness. I hope it lives up to the previous fic's promise and gives our boys the kind of happy ending you've all wanted for them! :) 
> 
> That being said, if you haven't read the previous installment, some bits and pieces may not ring a bell. I highly recommend going back to the original fic to get all the deeper meanings. If you want to just jump right in - know that Rick had been badly hurt on a call gone wrong while he had still been a sheriff's deputy. It left him with angst, fear and without his right hand. Daryl had stumbled into his life thanks to Carol, their mutual friend. Through his hard work, Daryl had managed to bring Rick out of his shell and back into the land of the living :) 
> 
> Now we get a picture of a very changed Rick, Rick after his two years of "Daryl" therapy, where they live happily ever after.
> 
> Enjoy! :3

“Do I look ridiculous yet?” Rick asked, stepping out of their house, his helmet placed firmly on his head. It was adorned with a Santa Claus hat, held there securely by velcro strips - according to Daryl (or _pure magic_ \- according to Rick). He was wearing his suede wolf jacket, but had a red cape attached to his shoulders, the hem of it decorated with white faux fur. It was long enough to be instantly noticed, but not long enough to make riding bitch difficult.

Daryl smirked, put on his own Santa Claus helmet, shrugged his shoulders and made his red cape flutter, then straddled his bike.   
“Stop yer moanin’ or we’re gonna be late, an’ Jesus will have a fit.”   
“Of course he’ll have a fit. It’s his birthday, right?” Rick said, smirking. It _wasn’t,_ not really, but he couldn’t stop himself from making horrible puns for the duration of Christmas. “Every one-day-old baby has fits.”

Daryl only groaned in exasperation and rolled his eyes. He patted the seat behind his back, inviting Rick to join him. Rick couldn’t steer a bike with one hand, but he was pretty good at riding behind Daryl... So good, in fact, that Daryl missed having Rick’s arms around him whenever he went somewhere alone.

With a quiet grunt, Rick settled behind him, arms automatically looping around Daryl’s waist. A few seconds, the sudden rumble of the engine, and they were off.

-&-

“Now _this_ is ridiculous,” Daryl commented, waving his hand at his bike, glancing between his beloved vehicle and Rick, who just stood there, grinning.   
“Oh, I don’t know… It’s not that bad,” Rick said, trying not to laugh aloud.   
“Come on,” Jesus jumped in, smiling sweetly at the grumpy biker. “Don’t be the Grinch.” He ribbed Daryl, then went to his own bike. Daryl just stood there, staring, looking for all the world as if he didn’t know what to do with himself.

There were toys… no, _plushies,_ hanging off his motorcycle. _Tons of them._ Smaller ones, bigger ones… blue, yellow, red… _pink! There were pink unicorns swaying slightly when the wind blew on them, for fuck’s sake!_

Shaking himself off like a wet dog, Daryl dragged his gaze to Rick. It was enough that they looked like a bunch of hell-raised Santas, now his bike resembled a kids’ store and _good lord, why had they agreed to do this?_

Daryl knew why. During the two years they had spent together with Rick, they had worked their asses off to bring good name to bikers. They had even managed to lure about twenty of the others in, unintentionally creating a road gang of do-gooders that were actually _doing_ something good for others. They took part in a lot of charity events, and the latest was to go to the kids’ ward in the nearby hospital and bring some smiles to the scared faces there.

Jesus had been the one to propose this, but it was Rick who had thrown in the first enthusiastic “yes!”. It hadn’t been a surprise for Daryl, not after they had spent the better part of their two years together brightening other people’s days. And if Rick had been on board, then naturally, Daryl had said “yes”, too, and here they were, with Daryl’s bike looking like a toy version of a Christmas tree, with the both of them wearing those stupid outfits… with their whole gang waiting for Jesus to fix the last plushie onto his own bike. It was a gigantic teddy bear, almost as big as Jesus himself - which wasn’t that huge, after all. _He wasn’t the tallest of them by any stretch,_ Daryl thought with a smirk, watching as their friend put the bear behind him. It was a very special plushie, with velcro tape stitched to its paws, so that they could be stuck together in something resembling a hug. It was fortunate, too, because hauling that thing all the way to the hospital would be a shitshow. Like this, they could just make the bear into another rider and put it on the seat to ride with Jesus, its paws velcro-ed securely around Jesus’ waist.

Daryl shook his head distractedly, then got on his own bike gingerly. When Rick’s arms found their way around his middle, he thought how he wouldn’t exchange them for the plushy bear if his life depended on it.

Looking over his shoulder, nodding at the rest of their gang, Daryl peeled out into the street.

-&-

Almost as soon as they parked their bikes in front of the hospital, the kids were running their way. Rick knew they were the ones whose condition was less threatening, and that the most important patients were waiting for them inside, but his heart still squeezed painfully seeing each excited face. So young… _they were all so fucking young… too young to have to deal with all this shit._

Smiling softly, he got off the bike and took his helmet off. He left it hanging on one of the handle bars, waiting for Daryl to do the same, before he took out two Santa hats - _not magical this time_ \- and handed one to his partner. Daryl took it with a groan, but tugged it on his head nevertheless.

“A bit of help in here?” Eric’s voice drew Rick’s attention, and he turned around, just to have a bunch of elf hats dumped on him. He caught the bag reflexively - he had become pretty good with catching things one-handed - then turned back to the kids.   
“Alright, the Santas will need a little help,” he started, digging a few hats out of the bag. They were green and red in color, probably a size too big for the kids, but it didn’t really matter. The children were as excited as ever, and Rick couldn’t help but grin at them. “Who wants to be Santa’s Little Helper?” He asked, raising the hats. He could hear Aaron and Jesus laughing behind him merrily when all hands shot up, waving at him to get his attention.

-&-

Taking the plushies off the bike took them about half an hour - and that was with the help of about ten little helpers. They had brought bags with them, so they could transport them inside the hospital without problems.

Once inside, Aaron and Eric took the left wing, taking Rosita, Tara, Glenn and Maggie with them. The rest of the bikers went to the second floor, so it left the right wing for Rick, Daryl, and Jesus. They set out, dragging their bags behind them, Jesus hot on their heels. He had the gigantic bear tucked under his arm, and was grinning from ear to ear, marching merrily.

They walked until they found room 25, where Jesus stopped them promptly.   
“Wait a sec, the bear goes here,” he told them, leaving his bag on the floor next to the door. As he went in, Rick and Daryl exchanged looks, following him quietly. Once inside, they paused, watching Jesus silently.

Their friend walked up to the only bed in the room, where a small girl was sleeping peacefully. She couldn’t be more than 5 years old, and she looked very thin lying there, dressed in pink pyjamas that were at least a size too big for her. Jesus smiled tenderly, then bowed down and pressed a small kiss to her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open, big and deep brown, and she smiled softly at him.   
“Hey darling,” Jesus greeted. Her smile widened when he showed her the bear. She made a gesture with her hand as if to grab it, and Jesus laugher quietly, then placed the bear next to her on the bed. She went to hug it immediately, and Jesus helped her in finding a comfortable position, before he velcroed the plushy paws around her tightly.

“Who’s she?” Daryl asked, once they made their way out of the room. Jesus smiled at him, but this smile wasn’t as happy as when it had been directed at the little girl. It was sadder, more somber than before.   
“That’s Gracie. She has cancer,” Jesus answered, giving the door to the room one more longing look.   
“Why the bear, though?” Rick’s curiosity got the best of him, but it didn’t seem like Jesus minded.   
“She has sensory issues. She likes to be hugged, can’t sleep without it sometimes…”   
“Oh,” Rick said quietly, nodding. That explained a lot… “Is she your family?”   
“No.” Jesus shook his head quickly, then turned around and picked his bag of gifts again.

Seeing Rick’s confused frown, Daryl answered the unspoken question.   
“He wanted to adopt her… It was difficult back then, with him being gay, but when she fell ill…”   
“Damn,” Rick muttered, voice low. “Anything we can do?”   
“Wait and hope for the best.” Daryl shrugged. With a sigh, he adjusted his hat and walked on, following Jesus down the corridor, getting ready to meet other small patients. Rick went right after him, thinking that he knew what his new year’s wish would be this time around.

-&-

It took them four hours to get every kid’s hands loaded with plushies and toys. It hadn’t been the longest gift-run in their career, but it was certainly the most exhausting one. Especially emotionally - there was something about meeting with sick kids that made all of their eyes misty and red-rimmed, even if they tried to hide it for the benefit of the small patients.

After they parted ways with the rest of the gang, Daryl and Rick went home. They changed into more comfortable clothes, then went to the living room to wait for Carl to come. Lori had promised to drop him off by six, and Daryl hoped she wouldn’t screw it up.

Every since their encounter in the hospital two years before, when Carl had had his leg broken in the accident, Rick had started to step up a bit more as a father. It hadn’t been easy at first, not with Lori breathing down their necks and giving Rick shit on every possible opportunity, until Daryl had decided to have a little chat with her. He had also made sure that Rick had been left out of that particular shouting match, timing it just right to take place when he and Carl had been enjoying another movie in the local cinema. As it turned out, it had been a good move, for now they could spend all the time they wanted together, without Lori’s constant bitching and her high standards interrupting them. And if Rick thought that the change of heart had happened because of Lori’s failure at keeping Shane by her side - well, Daryl certainly wasn’t going to talk him out of the dark here.

When the doorbell rang at five minutes to six, Daryl went to open it, smirking when he spotted Carl standing behind it, wearing the stupidest Christmas jumper ever created. The kid looked up at him as if to say _shut up_ without actually opening his mouth, then looked at his dad. Rick grinned at them from across the room, puffing out his chest proudly, showing off his equally ridiculous jumper. Daryl rolled his eyes and let the younger Grimes in, closing the door to keep the warmth inside the house.   
“Come on, Rick,” he gruffed out, turning to find his shoes. “We’ve got five minutes, or Carol will have our hide.”   
“Yeah, coming,” Rick answered from the living room, and a squeak of the old springs in the couch announced that he had, indeed, moved his lovely butt off of it.

-&-

Because they had known from the start that they would be busy with the “Hospital Christmas” event, they had known they wouldn’t really have time to prepare their christmas dinner. When Carol had heard about it, she had invited them all to spend the evening at her place. After a brief consideration, Daryl and Rick had agreed, and now here they were, sitting in Carol’s living room, their bellies full and their hearts content, watching as Carl and Sophia struggled with the presents they had brought with them.

The kids had found their gifts under the Christmas tree earlier in the morning in their respective houses, of course. But, because it was a day to gift and be gifted, Rick and Daryl had decided to buy some extra presents for Carl, Sophia and Carol, and take them to the party.

“Oh my god! Mom, look!” Sophia squeaked at Carol, showing her a half-opened box where a bit of fluffy faux fur could be seen through the gap in the decorative paper. The fur was white, soft, and filled the box to the brim. Daryl smirked when she ripped the remainder of the box and took out a gigantic unicorn. Carol opened her mouth in astonishment.   
“Daryl, that’s… you didn’t have to,” she mumbled, glancing between her friend and her daughter, who was cuddling the plushie happily, her thin arms barely able to wrap around the unicorn’s belly. Daryl grinned.   
“She likes unicorns. Couldn’t help myself,” he answered, shrugging.

Rick eyed him, then ducked his head to hide his smile. There was something about Sophia and Carl that always turned Daryl into the biggest softie on this side of the planet, and Rick couldn’t help but appreciate it.   
“What do we say, Sophia?” Carol prodded, her voice gentle but firm.   
“Thank you!” Sophia said, going first to Daryl, then to Rick, giving them both tight hugs. She and Carl had discovered that Santa isn’t real sometime during the last two years, but it didn’t seem to bother them at all.   
“You’re welcome, sweetie.” Rick smiled at her, the frowned at the tree in the corner of the room. “There are still boxes in there, though. Go and see whose are they?”

Bouncing happily, the unicorn’s legs jiggling behind her, she skipped to the tree and started to pull out the remaining gifts. One was for Carl, and he ripped into it eagerly, gasping in surprise when he discovered what was inside. Rick grinned at Daryl, a knowing look passing between them. They had spent a better part of the first week of December trying to find it, even going as far as to travel to Atlanta when they had learned that one of the shops there had it for sale.

Without being prompted, Carl set the gift back on the floor, then ran to Rick and Daryl, squeezing each of them so tightly they were surprised at his strength.   
“It’s amazing!” He mumbled into Rick’s jumper, to which Rick replied with a very heartfelt, “I’m happy you like it.”   
“I love it! It’s perfect!” Carl’s enthusiasm was palpable. Carol frowned, glancing between the half-torn wrapping paper, and the enthusiastic kid.   
“What is it?”   
“It’s a bedding set-” Rick started, but Carl interrupted him.   
“With _Hulk!_ I always wanted one! But mom always said that it was for little kids…” his voice got a bit quieter at the end, and Rick’s heart squeezed.

 _Jesus Christ,_ his son was _twelve years old,_ what the fuck was Lori even thinking?

“Good call,” Daryl whispered quietly next to him, shoving him playfully with his elbow and tearing Rick out of his thoughts in the process. “Ya think he’s gonna flip when he discovers the extra set on his bed?” He asked conspiratorially, and Rick grinned.

After they had found a shop that had perfect designs, they had bought two sets with Hulk, deciding that one of them will be for Carl’s room at their place whenever he wanted to come over for the weekend. The arrangement with Lori was still wonky, but they had managed to convince her to let Carl stay the night a few times in the past year. A divorce case and a custody agreement would probably help, but Daryl knew that Rick was still afraid that it would all go down south in the court - not only was he disabled, but he was also living with a man. That never bode well for such arrangements.

“Guys… you didn’t have to, really… It’s too much,” Carol said next to them, and they both jerked their heads around to look at her, slow smiles spreading over their faces when they took their friend in. She was sitting on the couch, a small box placed on her knees. She was still holding the lid with one hand, eyes wide when she took in the ornamental card inside. Rick and Daryl exchanged pleased glances.

They had discussed it for months, then tried to choose the best course of action for another week or two. They knew that Carol’s house was in dire need of repairs, but they also knew that she didn’t have enough money to pay for it. No amount of declining the payment didn’t work, even Rick’s explanations that he had more money from his insurance policy than he knew what to do with. Carol was a very honorable person, and she wouldn’t let Daryl and Rick just march in and fix whatever was broken without paying them back one way or another. And so, they decided on a little diversion - they had booked her a two-weeks long stay in a spa resort in Virginia. Two weeks, because Daryl had said that it would be enough to get the house into a good shape again.

“But… if I go, who’s gonna take care of Sophia? I can’t really leave her like that, she’s too young… But she can’t go either, it will be the middle of the second term...” Carol mused, frowning. Rick shook his head.   
“Of course not! She’s staying with us!”   
“Yes! Mom, can I? _Please?”_ Sophia joined the conversation, the picture of an angel she definitely _wasn’t._ She and Carl were in on the whole plan, knowing well what Rick and Daryl had in mind.   
“We can do some house sitting, and she’ll spend time with Carl… they go to the same school, after all, wouldn’t be trouble,” Daryl added, winking at the little devils playing innocent and looking up at Carol with wide, pleading eyes.   
“It’s not like you’re going to a different country,” Rick joined in. “If anything happens, you can always come back quickly. And she’ll be in good hands…”   
“I think… Alright, I think we can do that,” Carol said finally, dragging her eyes from the kids, fixing her gaze on Rick and Daryl. “But only if it’s not a problem.”   
“Problem? Woman, we _booked_ that trip, whaddaya think?” Daryl gruffed, but there was a playful tone to his words.

The conversation was steered to other things after that. The kids went to Sophia’s room to play with their new toys - the unicorn and the Hulk bedding set weren’t the only boxes under the tree on that evening - and before they knew it, the night had fallen for good and it was time to go home.

“How do you think, should we wake him?” Rick asked, his voice low. He had his eyes set on Carl, who was currently fast asleep on the mini couch in Sophia’s room, while Carol’s daughter was doing the same on top of the covers on her bed. They looked as if they had fallen asleep in the middle of playing, and Rick didn’t really have the heart to wake them. He glanced at Daryl, who just shook his head _no._   
“I’ll keep an eye on them,” Carol whispered behind them. “You can go home, come to breakfast tomorrow and pick him up then,” she proposed, craning her neck to look over Rick’s shoulder. She smiled warmly when she saw the slumbering kids. “Go, have a break, we’ll see each other tomorrow,” she prompted, then walked into the room, took a blanket out of the dresser and covered Carl with it. He stirred a bit, turned to his other side, and fell asleep again. Daryl snorted.

“You sure it’s not a problem?” Rick asked, but Carol shook her head.   
“Go,” she said, walking over to Sophia and tugging the covers from under her. She tucked them around her daughter, then turned to Rick and Daryl. “Really, go. Enjoy the evening,” she smiled, then winked at Daryl, making him groan quietly.   
“Thanks,” Rick murmured, smirking when Daryl excused himself, turning around and giving Rick a view of one of his ears. It was suspiciously red where it was peeking from between his unruly hair.

-&-

They stumbled into the house fifteen minutes later, somehow managing not to fall on their asses when they made their way through a dark corridor and into the bedroom. It wasn’t that easy, not with the both of them kissing wildly, something that had been started by Daryl pressing Rick aganst their front door (and then against the door frame, the wall next to the kitchen, and the dresser standing in the corner). Rick didn’t seem to mind being manhandled through the house, nor did he complain when his clothes ended up on the floor. He was rather enthusiastic when Daryl pushed him on the bed and leaned back, staring at him, hungry eyes roaming Rick’s whole body, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.

He did complain - _loudly_ \- when Daryl drew back and sat on his heels, though. Rick was ready to follow him up, but then, his wonderful boyfriend started to take off his clothes, and Rick relaxed back into the mattress, letting himself enjoy the show. He even flicked on the small bedside table lamp they had, basking his lover in a soft, warm light.

Daryl had always had a glorious body, but during the two years they had spent together, it had changed a bit. _Daryl liked tattoos,_ had been adding a new one every few months, and now, he had quite a collection on him. Rick couldn’t help but lick his lips mindlessly with every new bit of ink revealed to his hungry gaze. _A devil on Daryl’s bicep, an X here, a star there…_ there was a name tattooed right above Daryl’s heart, a name of his uncle - the only person in Daryl’s life who had brought him some happiness during his childhood. Rick had wondered a few times if the uncle Norman would approve of Rick tracing his tongue all over the letters of his name. Daryl certainly did, if the way his hips stuttered forward was any indication.

Rick devoted himself to licking every picture inked into his man’s skin, and he did it so thoroughly that Daryl grabbing a bottle of lube and preparing himself had completely slipped his attention. Before Rick knew what was happening, Daryl was pulling away and sitting up, _straddling him,_ lining his cock up and-   
“Oh _fuck!”_ Rick wheezed, suddenly breathless. Daryl smirked, but the half-assed smirk disappeared quickly when he sat down on Rick’s lap fully.

And then it was tight, and _hot,_ and Rick could barely wrap his head around it. Daryl’s hands found his arms and tugged them up and around Daryl’s neck, and Daryl leaned down, rocking his hips wildly, impaling himself over and over again, until with the sweetest of moans he came, squeezing around Rick and making him see stars.

Panting in the afterglow, still twitching a bit, Rick rolled them both to their sides, wincing when his cock slipped out of his lover. Daryl gruffed something unintelligibly, but let Rick pull away, opening his eyes lazily in question. Rick just smiled, then turned around, reaching under the bed, producing a white envelope.   
“Got something else for you for Christmas,” he murmured, handing the envelope to Daryl, who took it warily, eyes narrowing. He sat up against the headboard and opened it, fishing out a few sheets of paper that were tucked inside neatly.

Documents. _Daryl hated legal papers._ With a questioning look thrown into Rick’s direction, Daryl started to read, squinting at the fine print in the meager light from the lamp beside them.

_In the Superior Court of King County, State of Georgia, Family Division, blah blah blah… Petition for Divorce…_

_Wait._

Daryl blinked, then blinked again. He read through the heading again, then skimmed through the rest of the pages, finally lowering the papers and dragging his gaze to Rick.   
“What?” Daryl breathed, staring at him, confused. Rick hadn’t been too eager to file in for a divorce because he was afraid that the court wouldn’t give him any rights for custody over Carl.   
“I’ve met a lawyer, Andrea Harrison. She’s good. I’ve heard about a few of her cases… she said I have a good chance at getting at least a half-and-a-half agreement,” Rick explained. Daryl just sat there, shocked into stillness.

“I wanna fight for Carl,” Rick went on, looking down at the sheets between them. “Don’t know how well that will go, but I wanna try,” he mumbled.   
“I love ya,” Daryl whispered, throwing the papers to the floor and leaning into Rick, capturing his mouth in a very insistent kiss. “I love ya, and yer gonna win this, ya hear me?” He assured, stealing another kiss, one which Rick happily reciprocated.

Before it could get heated again, however, Daryl pulled back slightly, looking down at him, biting his lip.   
“Got somethin’ fer ya, too.” He pushed his hand under the pillow on his side of the bed, searched for something blindly, then took it out. He opened his palm, and Rick had to crane his neck a bit to see what was inside.

_Rings._

He opened his mouth, then closed it, surprised into speechlessness. Daryl glanced up at him, then down at the rings in his hand. They were black, with silvery edges, looking somehow rough and gritty, while still being incredibly shiny.   
“I thought you didn’t like sugary-sweet?” Rick asked, more than stated, eyes shifting between the gift and his lover’s face. It was true, too, Daryl hated all fluffy romance, even going as far as to roll his eyes every time Aaron and Eric did something that could be labeled as “cute”.   
“Thought _you_ liked it,” Daryl muttered back, emphasizing the word _you._ “‘Sides, ain’t that bad when it’s with ya…”   
“Daryl,” Rick whispered, trying to get his attention, but Daryl started to ramble on.   
“It’s tungsten, so it won’t get scratched when we’re working in the garden, or riding the bike. An’ I know we can’t really get married in Georgia, but I jus’ wanted ya to have it, ‘cause ya like this lovey-dovey shit, an’ I think I like it a bit, too, because of ya, an’-”   
_“Daryl.”_

Daryl broke off, gasping in some much needed air, then looked up at Rick.   
“Yeah?”   
“I love you,” Rick said simply, leaning in and placing the softest of kisses on Daryl’s lips. He took one of the rings, the bigger one, and pushed it on Daryl’s finger. Then, Rick waited patiently until Daryl did the same. It fit him perfectly, was surprisingly heavy for such a small thing, and Rick was sure it would remind him every second just what a precious man he had by his side.

They went to sleep an hour later, filling the time with stroking their ringed hands together, kissing and whispering sappy shit into each other’s ears, feeling surprisingly content even if it was spectacularly _lovey-dovey,_ as Daryl had put it.

And if Rick woke up in the morning with a huge grin plastered to his face - well, even Daryl’s _“We got a kid to pick up in an hour, Grimes, better move yer ass!”_ couldn’t wipe it off.

**Author's Note:**

> Early Merry Christmas, guys! <3


End file.
